DisplayMate has recently posted an interesting comparison of the display on the Apple Watch Sport and Apple Watch. And their conclusion might be surprising.

According to the firm, the Apple Watch Sport and its Ion-X Glass screen comes out slightly ahead of the more expensive Apple Watch and its sapphire-coated display.

Even though the sapphire glass is harder and more scratch resistant, there is a tradeoff, according to the testing:

While sapphire is incredibly hard and scratch resistant, the Lab measurements have demonstrated that it significantly affects the optical performance of (emissive) smart watch displays compared to glass, particularly in high ambient light and for large viewing angles. This behavior is very different from sapphire as it is used in traditional watches, which work by light reflection and not by display emission. In order to increase the use of sapphire for displays, the sapphire industry will need to modify the optical properties of sapphire without significantly affecting its scratch resistance and other mechanical properties. It can’t be done using traditional Anti-Reflection optical coatings which scratch easily.

Take a look at the complete report if you’re interested in how the watch’s display works. Personally, I’ve been really impressed with the OLED screen so far on my Apple Watch Sport. The information has been easily viewable in a number of different situations both inside and outside.

The first wave of Apple Watch preorders began to arrive on Friday. Any current order placed today from Apple’s site is scheduled to ship sometime in June.

Prices range from $349 for the 38mm Sport model to $17,000 for the most expensive 18-karat gold Apple Watch Edition.

A mid-range Apple Watch collection, with a sapphire display cover and stainless steel exterior, ranges from $549 to $1,099. Apple also offers a number of other additional bands for the watch.